Martin Luther Religious Unity
The Reformation: Martin Luther and the End of Christian Religious Unity
By the early 1500s, many people in Western Europe were growing increasingly discontented and displeased with the Christian Church. Many found the Pope too involved with secular (worldly) matters, rather than with his flocks spiritual well-being. Lower church officials were poorly educated and broke vows by living richly and keeping mistresses. Some officials practiced simony, or passing down their title as priest or bishop to their illegitimate sons. In keeping with the many social changes of the Renaissance, people began to boldly challenge the authority of the Christian Church.
There were some early calls for church reform in that last part of the fifteenth century. …show more content…
An indulgence, a religious pardon that released a sinner from performing specific penalties, could be bought from a church official for various fees. Martin Luther was especially troubled because some church officials gave people the impression that they could buy their way into heaven. Doctrines of indulgences taught that Christ and the saints had stored up a treasury of merit. Indulgences could reduce the amount of time spent in purgatory; did not bring forgiveness of sin. Indulgences were sold to raise money for the church's increasing expenses. Luther found the answer he was looking for in Paul's Letter to the Romans (Romans 1:17 - "The righteous shall by his faith.") Only faith (in the ultimate goodness of Jesus), not good deeds, could save a person. No good works, rituals, etc. would save a person if they did not …show more content…
Maybe it was just the way on how people had implemented and understood it a long time ago. Indulgences are some kind of donation that would help them in building or maintaining their church. But it should not also be forced to the people. It should be given willingly and not because of any “other reasons”. However, corruptions could not be avoided. It will always be present as long as money is involved.
For Luther, this was an act of corruption. To express his growing concern of church corruption, Martin Luther wrote his famous 95 Theses, which called for a full reform of the Christian Church. In it, he stressed the following points:
• People could only win salvation by faith in God's forgiveness. The Church taught that faith, along with good works was needed for salvation.
• The Pope is a false authority. The bible was the one true authority.
• All people with faith in Christ were equal. People did not need priest and bishops to interpret the bible for them. They could read it themselves and make up their own minds.
Martin Luther tacked his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517 to the church door at Wittenberg, in Saxony, Germany. Luther invited other scholars to debate him on the matter church
By the early 1500s, many people in Western Europe were growing increasingly discontented and displeased with the Christian Church. Many found the Pope too involved with secular (worldly) matters, rather than with his flocks spiritual well-being. Lower church officials were poorly educated and broke vows by living richly and keeping mistresses. Some officials practiced simony, or passing down their title as priest or bishop to their illegitimate sons. In keeping with the many social changes of the Renaissance, people began to boldly challenge the authority of the Christian Church.
There were some early calls for church reform in that last part of the fifteenth century. …show more content…
An indulgence, a religious pardon that released a sinner from performing specific penalties, could be bought from a church official for various fees. Martin Luther was especially troubled because some church officials gave people the impression that they could buy their way into heaven. Doctrines of indulgences taught that Christ and the saints had stored up a treasury of merit. Indulgences could reduce the amount of time spent in purgatory; did not bring forgiveness of sin. Indulgences were sold to raise money for the church's increasing expenses. Luther found the answer he was looking for in Paul's Letter to the Romans (Romans 1:17 - "The righteous shall by his faith.") Only faith (in the ultimate goodness of Jesus), not good deeds, could save a person. No good works, rituals, etc. would save a person if they did not …show more content…
Maybe it was just the way on how people had implemented and understood it a long time ago. Indulgences are some kind of donation that would help them in building or maintaining their church. But it should not also be forced to the people. It should be given willingly and not because of any “other reasons”. However, corruptions could not be avoided. It will always be present as long as money is involved.
For Luther, this was an act of corruption. To express his growing concern of church corruption, Martin Luther wrote his famous 95 Theses, which called for a full reform of the Christian Church. In it, he stressed the following points:
• People could only win salvation by faith in God's forgiveness. The Church taught that faith, along with good works was needed for salvation.
• The Pope is a false authority. The bible was the one true authority.
• All people with faith in Christ were equal. People did not need priest and bishops to interpret the bible for them. They could read it themselves and make up their own minds.
Martin Luther tacked his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517 to the church door at Wittenberg, in Saxony, Germany. Luther invited other scholars to debate him on the matter church